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Marion County School Consolidation Plans Put Vulnerable Students at Center of Debate

By Cheryn Stone
Published August 13, 2026 at 3:33 PM EDT
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Students, teachers and parents from Wyomina Park Elementary held hands in prayer before the School Board meeting.
Kayla Kissel
/
Central Florida Public Media
Students, teachers and parents from Wyomina Park Elementary held hands in prayer before the School Board meeting.

Enrollment and funding pressures are fueling the debate over school consolidation and the future of rural schools.

A fight over the future of Central Florida public schools is putting some of the most vulnerable children at the center of the debate. The issue is coming to a head during the first week back to school.

Education Reporter Kayla Kissel explains what a disagreement over a rural elementary school reveals about the broader challenges facing public education.

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Cheryn Stone
Cheryn joined Central Florida Public Media after several years as a weekend news anchor at Spectrum News 13 in Orlando.
See stories by Cheryn Stone